问英语
原书主词条 · 2 个连续词条

prefer to do/prefer doing

原书 PDF 第 1189 页

prefer to do/prefer doing1

问

用动词不定式作 prefer 的宾语和用动名词作 prefer 的宾语在意义上有无区别？

答

可以看作没有什么区别。请看下面的实例：

  1. Do you prefer {tocookcooking}\left\{\begin{array}{l} to cook \\ cooking \end{array}\right\} for yourself, or {toeateating}\left\{\begin{array}{l} to eat \\ eating \end{array}\right\} in a restaurant? (CGEL) 你喜欢自己做饭吃,还是到饭店里吃?

  2. She prefers to live among the working people. (Sinclair) 她喜欢生活在劳动人民中间。

  3. So you prefer living abroad? (Shaw) 那么你是喜欢在国外生活了?

Mr. Johnson preferred ____ heavier work to do.

A. to be given B. to be giving C. to have given D. having given(全国四级,93.6-61)

Markdown：英语常见问题解答大词典-6.md · 12403—12418 行PDF：第 1189 页 · prefer to do/prefer doing 1-2

prefer to do/prefer doing2

问

“What kind of pen do you want to have?” “I prefer ____ to that blue one.”

A. having this red pen B. to have this red pen

C. had this red pen D. this red pen having(TOEFL)

您在 prefer to do/prefer doing 1^{1} 条中指出它们两者之间并没有什么可觉察到的区别,但是上面的试题为什么只能选 A,而不能选 B 呢?这与您所说的似乎有矛盾。

答

上面的试题与 prefer to do/prefer doing 1^{1} 条中所谈的句型有所不同。这里所涉及的句型是 prefer A to B。在这种句型中，如果 A 是动词，则采用-ing 形式，而在 prefer A rather than B 句型中，如果 A 是动词，则大都采用 to-v 形式，请对比下面的例句：

  1. I prefer to walk there rather than go by bus. (Collins) 我宁愿步行去那里，而不愿意乘公共汽车去。

  2. While he was in the office he preferred doing something to doing nothing. (Priestley) 当他

在办公室时，他宁愿做点什么事，而不愿意无所事事。 (参见 rather than 5^{5} )

Markdown：英语常见问题解答大词典-6.md · 12419—12433 行PDF：第 1189 页 · prefer to do/prefer doing 1-2